Metal buttons are widely used in the garment industry. In order that the metal buttons of one manufacturer be competitive with those of other manufacturers, the buttons customarily are stamped as shells out of sheet metal and provided with thread-receiving holes. A peripheral lip or flange on the shell gives the button thickness and a degree of rigidity. In many instances, the outer surface of the button is convex. In most instances, however, because of puckering of the material, they are made flat or concave in an attempt to minimize the puckering.
While metal buttons can be inexpensively produced in the manner described above, when they are attached to the fabric of a garment by an automatic sewing machine the thread is tightly drawn around and into engagement with the edges of the holes in the shell. As a result the fabric is drawn up into the shell producing an unsightly pucker. In addition, the engagement of the thread with the sharp edges of the hole may result in undue wear on the thread and possible loss of the button.
Some attempts have been made in the prior art to solve the problem outlined above. Perhaps the most significant of these is the manufacture of a two-part metal button comprising an upper shell provided with thread-receiving holes and an under shell provided with thread-receiving holes and adapted to be assembled with the upper shell to form a button. Not only is the required stamping of two metal parts a relatively expensive procedure for the manufacture of an inexpensive article, but also the fact that the upper and lower sets of thread-receiving holes must be brought into registry during assembly makes that operation relatively difficult. Owing to these facts, and particularly in regions where labor costs are relatively high, buttons made by this process are so expensive as not to be competitive with other metal buttons.
I have invented an improved metal button assembly which overcomes the problem of puckering when the button is attached to a fabric. My button not only accomplishes this object, but is competitive with metal buttons of the prior art. It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture for the result achieved thereby.